Features: Equal Marriage Campaign in Northern Ireland

This week’s features piece looks at the debate about Equal Marriage in Northern Ireland, which saw thousands on the streets of Derry and Belfast on the first Saturday in June protesting to allow for same-sex marriage in the North.

Why is this in the news?

Equal Marriage Rally, Belfast June 2 2018 (Pic: Inside Ireland.ie)

Thousands of people rallied in Derry and Belfast on Saturday 2 June to call on UK Prime Minister Theresa May to legislate for marriage equality in Northern Ireland.

What is the context?

On Friday May 22nd 2015, Ireland voted 62% Yes in the Equal Marriage Referendum. With equal marriage legislated for in England, Scotland and Wales, this means Northern Ireland is the only place in these isles not to have legislation on equal marriage.

Legislation to allow for the recognition of equal marriage in Northern Ireland has been debated in the Northern Ireland Assembly five times since 2012. A vote in November 2015 saw support for same-sex marriage pass by one vote. However, this was blocked when the DUP used a voting mechanism called a ‘Petition of Concern’.

Campaigning has continued with organisations such as the umbrella body for student unions in the North, NUS-USI, who earlier this year wrote to MLAs and political parties calling on them to ‘deliver equality’ in Northern Ireland.

NUS-USI President Olivia Potter-Hughes said:

“The fact that there is no marriage equality in Northern Ireland bring shame upon the place we call home. I fail to see how it is acceptable that people who mostly do not define as LGB, can make a decision to actively deny equal marriage rights for people who are LGB. There is something very wrong about this, and it makes me extremely uncomfortable to see how eager some people are to deny rights to others.

“We are currently holding meetings with politicians on the back of this letter. We know not everyone will agree with us; however, we welcome all positive engagement on these vitally important matters.”

NUS-USI is a member of Love Equality, the body calling for provisions to deliver equal marriage in Northern Ireland.

The issue was re-ignited when Co Armagh-born British Labour MP Conor McGinn had his 10-minute rule bill in the House of Commons delayed until a Second Reading in October. His Bill aimed to ‘make provision for the marriage of same sex couples in Northern Ireland; to make provision in the law of Northern Ireland for the conversion of civil partnerships to marriages and for the review of civil partnership; to make provision for the legal recognition of the marriage of armed forces personnel overseas and of other marriages solemnised outside Northern Ireland; and for connected purposes’.

The march was organised by the Love Equality campaign. A rally for marriage equality was also staged in Guildhall Square, Derry at the same time as the Belfast one.

Police told Inside Ireland.ie that estimated figures of those at the Belfast event were around 5,000, which marched across central Belfast and was led by the City’s outgoing Lord Mayor, Councillor Nuala McAllister. It ended with a mass-rally in front of City Hall, hosted by Belfast actor Bronagh Waugh.

Rally speakers included Mr McGinn, and the recent 8th Amendment Yes campaign leader Ailbhe Smyth (extract of speech can be heard in the podcast below).

Patrick Corrigan of the Love Equality campaign, said:

“It’s nonsensical that the government is denying the people of Northern Ireland the same rights as everyone else in the UK. Human rights should not rely on postcodes. There can be no second-class citizens in the UK. It is now up to Theresa May and the UK Government to deliver on the promise of equality.”

Opposition

A heckler shouted at the Belfast marchers “You are all going to Hell.”

The DUP didn’t mention same-sex marriage in its 2017 Westminster manifesto, but the party has consistently vetoed bills in the Assembly.

The Presbyterian Church in Ireland recently voted to distance itself from the Church of Scotland over the definition of marriage.

At the annual meeting of the Church’s General Assembly in Belfast on 06 June, members took the ‘significant decision to no longer accept invitations for the Moderator to attend the Church of Scotland’s General Assembly, and the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church, and no longer invite the Scottish Moderator and URC Moderator to the Irish General Assembly’.

In a statement, the Church said the vote was also ‘significant’ because it demonstrated that a majority of Assembly members felt that both denominations have ‘drifted far from biblical truth in relation to marriage, and were in fact ignoring the authority of Scripture’.

“Both are now moving towards a position where so called same sex marriage can be performed in the context of their worship services. Our Church is very clear that marriage, as defined in God’s Word, is between one man and one woman and significantly it is God’s Word that is authoritative.”

EU Court of Justice on recognition of same-sex marriages

The European Court of Justice ruled on Tuesday 05 June that member states should recognise gay marriages contracted in fellow EU states, and grant couples the same residency rights that is accorded to other families.

The applicant Mr Coman, was a Romanian national who had married a US national while they both lived in Belgium, where same-sex marriage is recognised. When the two spouses sought to come back to Romania, the Romanian authorities refused to give Hamilton a right of residence in Romania, as that country does not recognise same-sex marriage.

Irish Green Party Justice spokesperson, Cllr Roderic O’Gorman welcomed the ruling by the Court of Justice in the Coman case.“From a broader point of view, the Court of Justice stated that the word ‘spouse’ in the EU Citizenship Directive is gender neutral and therefore can apply to same-sex couples… As such, this ruling is an important step in delivering the tangible benefits to men and women that flow from the steady expansion of marriage equality across Europe,” he added.

“This protection for non-EU nationals who are married to EU nationals will be of interested to Northern Ireland residents following Brexit. For example, if a Northern Ireland resident who does not possess an Irish passport marries a Northern Ireland resident who does have an Irish passport, and is thus a EU citizen, he or she would be covered by this ruling if the married couple ever moved to an EU country that did not recognise marriage equality.”

Inside Ireland

Inside Ireland is a not-for-profit news outlet covering local stories
affecting communities in Ireland. Its contributors come from all over Ireland and
are hobbyist and professional journalists, chronicling stories from all
four corners of the island.